Senators Don’t Grasp That Education Should Be Part Of Gun Safety Initiative

Twenty U.S. Senate Democrats have issued a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), asking the agency to issue a statement of best practices regarding storage of firearms in the home. The letter states that, “Death and injury by firearm is one of the most significant public health threats to young people in communities across our nation.”

While the letter does not address specific practices that the GAO should endorse, it is telling that its focus is overwhelmingly on gun storage—that is, restricting all access to firearms by children—and on communicating the supposed risk of having a gun in the first place. Nowhere do the senators mention the value of campaigns designed to educate children about guns, either in the sense of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program or through youth shooting initiatives. When did we decide that teaching children to make responsible choices was no longer on the table.

Dems Target 2A In “Terror Gap” Proposal

Senate Democrats seeking to close what they are calling the “terror gap” are, in reality, seeking to curtail the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans with no due process.

The legislation proposed after the recent terror attacks in Paris targets gun sales to those on the government’s terror watch list—a list easy to get on, but virtually impossible to get off. Consider, for example, that even three federal legislators, including Sen. Ted Kennedy, found themselves on the list.

As Charles C.W. Cooke pointed out on the National Review Online, some 280,000 people on the list have “no affiliation with known terrorist groups” but simply fall under “reasonable suspicion.” The National Rifle Association is against curtailing the constitutional rights of Americans by empowering unelected bureaucrats to secretly put them on any list with no due process, and essentially no recourse. We’d bet that most freedom-loving Americans agree with that sentiment.

NY Police Union Head Touts LE Carry At NFL Games

A police union leader in New York City is working to get the National Football League to drop its policy that bans officers from carrying guns into stadiums on game day.

According to WABC in New York, Sgt. Ed Mullins, president of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association, has created an online petition to change the NFL’s policy prohibiting officers from carrying guns into stadiums. His proposal comes in the light of the recent terror attack in Paris, where a soccer stadium full of people was targeted.

“This is not only a law enforcement issue, it is a public safety issue that must be immediately addressed,” Mullins told WABC. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition already had about 1,900 of the 2,500 signatures Mullins is seeking.

More Americans Buy Guns As Defense Against Terrorism

Americans have been racing to gun stores to purchase firearms and sign up for concealed-carry permit classes in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris, France. Many of those buying guns are doing so for the first time—and some who purchased their first gun ever amid the unrest of the Ferguson or Baltimore protests are now buying a second gun for extra security in the event of an attack.

According to Russell Durling, who owns Last Resort Guns in Madison County, Ala., “We were busy right out of the box” following the attacks. “The truth of it is, when America is scared, America buys guns,” he added. Gun store owners are also seeing a surge in concealed-carry permit applications and course attendance. The Limestone, Ala., sheriff’s office has reported a huge spike in permits since the Friday attacks in Paris, and concealed classes at Texas Guns "have doubled in the last week."

Boy’s Treasured Toy Trashed By TSA

No trip to Disney World is complete without a souvenir to remember the adventure. For 5-year-old Levi Zilka, that special treasure was his Buzz Lightyear toy. But instead of taking the toy home and enjoying the memento of a memorable vacation, Levi watched as it was tossed into the trash at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. This came courtesy of a TSA agent who thought it looked “too much like a gun.”

David Zilka, Levi’s father, said, “Once he realized what was happening, that they weren’t giving his toy back, he immediately starts bawling, just tears streaming down his face, crying.”

The actions of the TSA agent are under investigation, but that does little to console a devastated child who lost his favorite toy to gun paranoia gone too far. “We understand that things are scary out there right now,” added David, “but taking a toy from a 5-year-old doesn’t enhance national security.”

Pennsylvania Homeowner Exchanges Gunfire With Intruders

A man residing in Oley Township, Pa., told police that he awoke to the sight of an unfamiliar man pointing a gun at him. Fortunately, the homeowner was a gun owner; he quickly retrieved his firearm and began firing at the intruder, chasing him down the stairs toward the entrance. He then saw another man at the foot of the stairs, also brandishing a gun in his direction.

In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, both suspects were hit and fled the premises. They were later dropped off at a local hospital and are being charged by authorities, along with one of two alleged accomplices. The homeowner was shot in the leg; he has already been treated and released from the hospital.